Preview — The Spirit of Terrorism
by Jean Baudrillard

The Spirit of Terrorism

In dealing all the cards to itself, the system forced the Other to change the rules of the game. And the new rules are ferocious, because the game is ferocious. We have seen many world events, and recent years have been filled with any number of violent ones, from wars to genocides. But until September 11 we had had no symbolic event on a world scale that marked a setbackIn dealing all the cards to itself, the system forced the Other to change the rules of the game. And the new rules are ferocious, because the game is ferocious. We have seen many world events, and recent years have been filled with any number of violent ones, from wars to genocides. But until September 11 we had had no symbolic event on a world scale that marked a setback for globalization itself. With the terrorist attacks we are confronted, says Baudrillard, with the pure event that concentrates in itself all the events which have never taken place. And we had all dreamt of this event because it was impossible not to dream of the destruction of American monopolistic power.

Continuing an analysis developed over many years, Baudrillard sees the power of the terrorists as lying in the symbolism of this slaughter. Not merely the reality of death, but a sacrificial death that challenges the whole system. Where the past revolutionary sought to conduct a struggle of real forces in the context of ideology and politics, the new terrorist mounts a powerful symbolic challenge, which, when combined with high-tech resources, constitutes an unprecedented assault on an over-sophisticated, vulnerable West. ‘There is,’ writes Baudrillard, ‘no solution to this extreme situation.’ As a response to it, conventional warfare is a non-starter, a non-event. It is merely ‘the continuation of an absence of politics by other means.’...more

In spite of my usual reservations about Baudrillard; the bitchy nihilism, the occasional whiny sense of futility, the smug dismissal of almost any perspective that isn't simply his, etc., I found these essays to be very sharp and still quite relevant to our current situation.

His conception of the relationship between terrorism and global power (i.e. the U.S.) is less dependent on a specific historical or religious or political reading than most leftist considerations, which makes it both suspectIn spite of my usual reservations about Baudrillard; the bitchy nihilism, the occasional whiny sense of futility, the smug dismissal of almost any perspective that isn't simply his, etc., I found these essays to be very sharp and still quite relevant to our current situation.

His conception of the relationship between terrorism and global power (i.e. the U.S.) is less dependent on a specific historical or religious or political reading than most leftist considerations, which makes it both suspect and also much more interesting, and frankly, harder to ignore. Aside from the irritating turns of phrase which tend to accompany most critical theory (many of which Baudrillard is famous for using in his own writing), his observations here are for the most part quite concrete, and show how completely confused and utterly ridiculous a lot of our conventional thinking is about terror in our age.

(I tried to come up with some witty, post-modern version of 'jet fuel can't melt steal beams for this review, but I failed. Sorry)...more

There will be some that will write off this book because particular lines in it may sound offensive. But I don't think Baudrillard trivializes 9/11, nor do I think he meant to cause offense. The infamous "they did it, but we wanted it" line ought to be read with care. I don't think he meant that we, or the rest of the world, consciously wanted 9/11; but we were, perhaps, subconsciously grappling with the Fukuyaman notion that nothing great or earth shattering would ever happen again. 9/11, as awThere will be some that will write off this book because particular lines in it may sound offensive. But I don't think Baudrillard trivializes 9/11, nor do I think he meant to cause offense. The infamous "they did it, but we wanted it" line ought to be read with care. I don't think he meant that we, or the rest of the world, consciously wanted 9/11; but we were, perhaps, subconsciously grappling with the Fukuyaman notion that nothing great or earth shattering would ever happen again. 9/11, as awful as it was, showed us that history wasn't over just yet, and gave us purpose at a time when our purpose was an unresolved question. That's how I think the line ought to be read.

And I do think, after reading this book, that Baudrillard truly believed that 9/11 was awful. In fact, I think he believed 9/11 was a far more horrendous event than most depictions of it. The death of three thousand Americans is tragic, but the way that they died, in such spectacular fashion and with total media fixation, created a symbol of American impotence that far exceeded the lives lost. "It is not 'real'," Baudrillard observed, "In a sense, it is worse: it is symbolic" (p. 29). These do not sound like the words of a person who trivialized what happened on 9/11. On the contrary, these sound like the words of somebody who is trying to explain the true gravity of the event...and it was far more grave than the death toll alone would convey.

So why was the 'symbolic' attack of 9/11 so destructive? The problem with a symbolic attack is that it is resistant to most forms of retaliation. The nature of the attack left the attackers dead, so there is nobody left to disavow it. The terrorist act leaves no clear enemy, no countervailing force, to fight. And the result of the attack is the production of an image that cannot be destroyed. The only option against a symbolic attack is to replace the image with another image, but what images have we produced to render the image of 9/11 moot?

It is hard to contemplate our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan without, first, wondering what we were hoping to accomplish there. It seems clear, after reading this book, that we were looking for a symbol that could displace the symbol of 9/11. The fact that we are still there means we haven't found that symbol yet.

Does a symbol even exist that can undo the symbolism of 9/11? Maybe, but we can't understand what we were hoping to accomplish if we do not understand the symbolic nature of the 9/11 attack. Baudrillard gives us a glimpse into the nature of the attack from a semiotic angle; he offers the kind of perspective that pragmatists and policy analysts cannot see. This is why the book is valuable, and why it ought to be taken seriously....more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.This short collection of essays date from shortly after the events of 9/11/01. While so much of what has been written since has seemed somewhat off the mark, Jean Baudrillard's The Spirit of Terrorism and Other Essays introduces some interesting ideas that are still worth debating. In essence, the French philosopher thinks that globalization itself led to a suicidal situation -- one that has frequently been imagined in Hollywood films about terrorism:

Today that order, which has virtually reached

This short collection of essays date from shortly after the events of 9/11/01. While so much of what has been written since has seemed somewhat off the mark, Jean Baudrillard's The Spirit of Terrorism and Other Essays introduces some interesting ideas that are still worth debating. In essence, the French philosopher thinks that globalization itself led to a suicidal situation -- one that has frequently been imagined in Hollywood films about terrorism:

Today that order, which has virtually reached its culmination, finds itself grappling with the antagonistic forces scattered throughout the very heartlands of the global, in all the current convulsions. A fractal war of all cells, all singularities, revolting in the form of antibodies. A confrontation so impossible to pin down that the idea of war has to be rescued from time to time by spectacular set-pieces, such as the Gulf War or the war in Afghanistan. But the Fourth World War [the Third was the self-inflicted defeat of Communism] is elsewhere. It is what haunts every world order, all hegemonic domination -- if Islam dominated the world, terrorism would rise against Islam, for it is the world, the globe itself, which resists globalization.

Baudrillard distinguishes between the Universal and the Global. In our identification of the United States as "The City on the Hill," we would like to think of ourselves as a Universal culture with Universal values, such as freedom and democracy. Instead, we have a more negative simulacrum of Universality, in a Global network of markets, entertainment, and, in a word, order. Hence, terrorism arises to attack the weaknesses of this New World Order.

Osama bin Laden dreamed of an Islamic universality, perhaps a new Caliphate to be headed by -- why not? -- himself and his followers. But just as our "Universal" values have decayed, those of Al-Qaeda likewise have decayed. Did not the suicide bomber of 9/11 visit strippers, even at one point leaving a copy of the Qu'ran at a titty bar.

The French have an interesting perspective on terrorism, having themselves invented it during the French Revolution. Baudrillard's perspective deserves to be discussed today....more

I liked it, but as it goes on Baudrillard lapses into this almost Hegelian attribution of agency to historical forces and, even more bafflingly, Lacanian progression to BUILDINGS.

I've always felt that Baudrillard, to some extent, wrote in such a way that his books demand to be unpacked as poetry just as much as philosophy in order to be understood, but in this text the wires get crossed and the whole thing becomes a murky, evasive mess of casuistry by the end.

I hate to say it, because usuallyI liked it, but as it goes on Baudrillard lapses into this almost Hegelian attribution of agency to historical forces and, even more bafflingly, Lacanian progression to BUILDINGS.

I've always felt that Baudrillard, to some extent, wrote in such a way that his books demand to be unpacked as poetry just as much as philosophy in order to be understood, but in this text the wires get crossed and the whole thing becomes a murky, evasive mess of casuistry by the end.

I hate to say it, because usually Baudrillard is my favorite of the three, but this book definitely suffers in comparison to its companion volumes by Virilio and Zizek....more

A very symbolic and literary way of looking at the origins and results of terrorism. I don't think there was much I actually disagreed with in these two essays. However, in his search for an almost poetic/philosophic explanation for terror Jean Baudrillard risks the absurdity of oversimplification for beauty's sake.

Baudrillard brings his usual ideas to bear with a journalistic energy on 9/11. There's a few essays here but they're all basically the same. The twin towers committed suicide: that, I say, is a beautiful thing to write.

Buadrillard examines the event of 9/11 through four essays: 1. The Spirit of Terrorism; 2. Requiem for the Twin Towers; 3. Hypothesis of Terrorism; and 4. The Violence of the Global.

The first essay, The Spirit of Terrorism, looks at the mimetic event of 9/11. He sets up the notion of terrorism as the result of the Western Hegemonic Divine going to war against itself. That the terrorist attacks bring about a fourth world war – a true world war of globalization. What scares us about terrorists isBuadrillard examines the event of 9/11 through four essays: 1. The Spirit of Terrorism; 2. Requiem for the Twin Towers; 3. Hypothesis of Terrorism; and 4. The Violence of the Global.

The first essay, The Spirit of Terrorism, looks at the mimetic event of 9/11. He sets up the notion of terrorism as the result of the Western Hegemonic Divine going to war against itself. That the terrorist attacks bring about a fourth world war – a true world war of globalization. What scares us about terrorists is that they have adopted the western system in order to attack the western system. What scares the west is "The fact that [the Other] have become rich (they have all the necessary resources) without ceasing to wish to destroy us" (p. 23). With this the image and reality become radically blurred. The media function not as the medium of the event, but a fundamental aspect of the event. The media allows for the mimetic image of the Towards 'suicide' – their response to the suicide of the terrorist. The pseudo event – the mimetic repetitions of the image of the towers – brings forward conflict not centred on an event, but on mimetic repetitions. This leads to "...conflict over phoney stakes. to a situation of 'no contest'. War as a continuation of the absence of politics by other means." (p. 34)

The second essay looks at the image of the Twin towers as the image of finance and banking: Their blank, mirrored exterior with no face. In their attack, the terrorists attacked the true source of power – not the political, but the financial. The towers contained a perfect symmetry – almost longing to be destroyed. Two attacks showed this symmetry, and showed that this was a terrorist attack. One tower would not have led to the shift in the same way two tower, which appeared to commit suicide at impact, had.The physical tower was destroyed, but the symbolic tower committed suicide, it collapsed. But, the symbolic collapse came from the physical collapse.The towers were symbols of God – omnipotence, the divine – and present the image of omnipotence disappearing. Through their destruction they become a new wonder, their image is more powerful in their destruction.

Essay three looks at the essence of terrorism. Baudrillard dismisses initial hypotheses of terrorism, showing that terrorism is absurd. Terrorism has no meaning – it is an immortal enemy. It has no objective – which allows it to attack the heart of globalization. Empire deterritorializes and reterriorializes through mirrors. But eventually the Other stops looking like empire and smashes the mirrors. The terrorists cannot defeat "us" for "we" are already dead. We created the terrorists, and they are already on our side. By terrorizing, they have entered globalization - that which they fought against. Baudrillard suggests an inverted master/slave dichotomy, wherein the Western power, in its fear of death, becomes the slave, and the terrorist, who uses death as a tool, becomes the master. The terrorist goal is simply to wreck havoc – wreck the system using its own tools. An attack on the acceptability of global power. Other forms of terrorism do this as well. Ultimately, "the spectre of terrorism is forcing the West to terrorize itself – the planetary police network being the equivalent of the tension of a universal Cold War, of a fourth world war imprinting itself upon bodies and more" (p. 81-82). This new terrorization can be seen in the security state.

Fourth essay shows the violence of globalism. Global power was humiliated on 9/11, and this is the worst thing that could happen to it. The global power was symbolically defeated – and the global power cannot respond in kind, it can only give physical defeat. There is no God to give back to (God is dead) – no way to repay symbolic death. We are slaves who cannot repay their debt. We submit to our technology, at the will of our networks and programs. "If terrorism arises, in this way, out of this excess of reality and its impossible exchange, out of this profusion for which nothing is given in return and this forced resolution of conflict, then the idea of extirpating it as an objective evil is a total illusion since, such as it is – in its absurdity and its meaninglessness – it is the verdict this society passes on itself, its self-condemnation" (p. 104-105)....more

I read The Spirit Of Terrorism about fifteen years after it had been first published. It is worth reading not from the perspective of finding agreement with the author's thoughts but for the purpose of understanding what he has to say. Sometimes one must find truth not in the particulars of what someone says but in the veracity that they mean what they are saying. It is useful to understand that other people do often think in ways dissimilar to ourselves. It is a book I should real twice...but sI read The Spirit Of Terrorism about fifteen years after it had been first published. It is worth reading not from the perspective of finding agreement with the author's thoughts but for the purpose of understanding what he has to say. Sometimes one must find truth not in the particulars of what someone says but in the veracity that they mean what they are saying. It is useful to understand that other people do often think in ways dissimilar to ourselves. It is a book I should real twice...but still haven't taken time to....more

In a series of essays written after 9/11, Baudrillard sets out a detached and symbolic view of the terrorist attacks and the manifest capacity of neoliberal globalisation to literally destroy itself in its own replication as it encounters the multiplicity of dissent and anti-globalist movements that seek to undermine its offensively hegemonic and imperial character. I would have reacted negatively to the essays herein at the time of publication in the aftermath of the attacks, but the immediacyIn a series of essays written after 9/11, Baudrillard sets out a detached and symbolic view of the terrorist attacks and the manifest capacity of neoliberal globalisation to literally destroy itself in its own replication as it encounters the multiplicity of dissent and anti-globalist movements that seek to undermine its offensively hegemonic and imperial character. I would have reacted negatively to the essays herein at the time of publication in the aftermath of the attacks, but the immediacy of global forms of symbols, the ones attacked and the ones reified , the ones branded for consumption, the ones used to incite terror and violence at both the state and sub-state or seemingly clandestine levels is compelling and rather straight-forward in an irreducible summation of the conflict between symbols. The attacks on September 11 demonstrated the cataclysmic vulnerability and ultimate escalation of conflict to the point of global civil strife, symbolically embedded in the attack on the center of American military aggression in the Pentagon and the global financial center at WTC.

These essays are brave, provocative, and ultimately compelling. The brand, the image, the rhetoric of Islamist militants and the counter-discourse of MNC branding and "Westoxification", the ultimate dehumanizing treatment of the Oriental Other (and subsequent "Islamophobia") and the all-to-often reductive treatment of Western forces of modernity in late-capitalism pits a hegemonic discourse against one which allows both the former and the latter to entrench millions. These essays do not predict so much as explain the development of a state of consciousness centered in fear and insecurity, in a plethora of opposition to global processes that increasingly relies on both the proliferation of a colonial mission and its seemingly paradoxical and often violent response. The attacks on symbols of Western power, in the muscles and the bones, the very core of American military and economic clout unprecedented on American soil is presented here as part of a greater conflict consisting of antagonistic discourses and symbols....more

It was definitely a great book, but though short I found it to be a bit more difficult to comprehend than the other two books I've read from Baudrillard. The final essay in particular seemed a bit muddled to me, as if he had a lot to say but not much time to say it. Of course, that could be attributed to my lack of ability to focus for the last 10 pages or so.I enjoyed the second essay especially, as I found the analysis of the twin towers architecture to be surprisingly specific, catching me ofIt was definitely a great book, but though short I found it to be a bit more difficult to comprehend than the other two books I've read from Baudrillard. The final essay in particular seemed a bit muddled to me, as if he had a lot to say but not much time to say it. Of course, that could be attributed to my lack of ability to focus for the last 10 pages or so.I enjoyed the second essay especially, as I found the analysis of the twin towers architecture to be surprisingly specific, catching me off-guard multiple times with how directly related to the symbolic aspects of their collapse it was. Overall, it was a great read.

EDIT: I'm really glad I chose to read this all in one day, as about 6 hours after I finished, Osama bin Laden was killed.

Favorite quote:"The world's leaders met recently in Rome to sign a treaty which, they all proclaim, puts a final end to the Cold War. But they didn't even leave the airport. They stayed on the tarmac, surrounded by armored cars, barb wire and helicopters - by that is to say, all the symbols of the new cold war, the war of armed security, of the perpetual deterrence of an invisible enemy."...more

I find Baudrillard somewhat intangible and difficult to comprehend but I love his philosophy writings and what I can't quite grasp with logic I catch with the feelings that the 'rightness' of what he says conjures in me. I'm not sure if that makes much sense, but I experience Baudrillard through emotion more than thought.

This book a short read with a huge amount to say and provokes many thoughts. Reason enough to pick it up and read it, but it's also one of his more easier to understand theorieI find Baudrillard somewhat intangible and difficult to comprehend but I love his philosophy writings and what I can't quite grasp with logic I catch with the feelings that the 'rightness' of what he says conjures in me. I'm not sure if that makes much sense, but I experience Baudrillard through emotion more than thought.

This book a short read with a huge amount to say and provokes many thoughts. Reason enough to pick it up and read it, but it's also one of his more easier to understand theories, if not that easy to fully accept about when you understand what he's saying.

It's one of my favourite books though because it speaks to me of evolutionary psychology and the nature of human beings on a species level. It also has some very true things to say about media, the way we absorb news events and how our reactions and conclusions are deeply coloured by those current forms of sensory input that so rapidly influence our cognitive minds, perhaps altering the natural way we might perceive and respond to events.

while baudrillard fails to adequately qualify some of his goofy and artfully provocative assertions (for instance, the notion that the fundamental rule of domination is "absence of reciprocation" and that terrorism is a blow back to the imperialist west giving the rest of the world a gift which the latter cannot reciprocate), the first essay will at least 'radicalize' your perception of XXI century terrorism. i am not acquainted in any of his earlier work (symbolic exchange and death) so maybe twhile baudrillard fails to adequately qualify some of his goofy and artfully provocative assertions (for instance, the notion that the fundamental rule of domination is "absence of reciprocation" and that terrorism is a blow back to the imperialist west giving the rest of the world a gift which the latter cannot reciprocate), the first essay will at least 'radicalize' your perception of XXI century terrorism. i am not acquainted in any of his earlier work (symbolic exchange and death) so maybe there is a misunderstanding on my part. in any case, i read this book in conjunction with Welcome to the Desert of the Real as many of the points covered here resonate with Zizek's own interpretation of the significance of 9/11 (e.g. it's not, as common sense would have it, a clarion call to eschew the virtual and return to the real, the precedence of the image over the brute reality of the event...)...more

As a philosopher of the postmodern condition it is difficult to pin Baudrillard down to a simple thesis. But these essays, all written soon after 9/11, are rich and tangible enough for a solid nod of agreement from time to time. The symbolic power vs. the material power of this terrorist event is now widely understood.. he saw it right away. The identifiable antagonists in broad conflicts of any consequence- say "America" vs. 'Islamist militants" are the symptoms of the problem. Triumphant globaAs a philosopher of the postmodern condition it is difficult to pin Baudrillard down to a simple thesis. But these essays, all written soon after 9/11, are rich and tangible enough for a solid nod of agreement from time to time. The symbolic power vs. the material power of this terrorist event is now widely understood.. he saw it right away. The identifiable antagonists in broad conflicts of any consequence- say "America" vs. 'Islamist militants" are the symptoms of the problem. Triumphant globalization is the condition that produces its very own demons.. suicidal demons with a Freudian death drive. Signs, signified, simulations, simulacrum (his own word?) in these terms, he describes, the fall of the towers, the suicide of the towers.. the vulnerable condition of globalist, but not universalist, dominance. Too many people getting pushed around. ...more

All I can say in favor of this book is that it's actually coherent, however ludicrous its arguments are. Maybe when I have time later in my life I'll actually tackle this on a premise-by-premise basis. Until then, all will note is that Baudrillard has completely missed the fact that terrorists are not just "pure negative force" whose existence is determined and necessitated by Western civilization itself but, as we should know already from HAMAS and ISIS, are more than often simply foot-soldiersAll I can say in favor of this book is that it's actually coherent, however ludicrous its arguments are. Maybe when I have time later in my life I'll actually tackle this on a premise-by-premise basis. Until then, all will note is that Baudrillard has completely missed the fact that terrorists are not just "pure negative force" whose existence is determined and necessitated by Western civilization itself but, as we should know already from HAMAS and ISIS, are more than often simply foot-soldiers for nascent totalitarian regimes....more

got this book for free due to accumulated credit in on-campus bookstore + overstock 60% off sale on a front table. i found it coldbloodedly thought-provoking; baudrillard rids himself (for the most part) of his frilly hyperreality theories and inscrutable turns of simulated phrase to solemnly meditate on the questions of us vs. them and good vs. evil (hint: turns out they're complicated dichotomies) in the age of globalization and terror.

sometimes offensive and sometimes insightful. a (mis)quote: "the question we are all afraid to ask if it was actually worse to work in the towers than to die in them". ouch. Baudrillard wrote about the towers are symbols of hyperreality long before this happened and expands his analysis here.

Jean Baudrillard (27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher, cultural theorist, political commentator, and photographer. His work is frequently associated with postmodernism and post-structuralism.

Jean Baudrillard was also a Professor of Philosophy of Culture and Media Criticism at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where he taught an Intensive Summer SJean Baudrillard (27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher, cultural theorist, political commentator, and photographer. His work is frequently associated with postmodernism and post-structuralism.

Jean Baudrillard was also a Professor of Philosophy of Culture and Media Criticism at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where he taught an Intensive Summer Seminar.

Jean Baudrillard's philosophy centers on the twin concepts of 'hyperreality' and 'simulation'. These terms refer to the virtual or unreal nature of contemporary culture in an age of mass communication and mass consumption. We live in a world dominated by simulated experiences and feelings, Jean Baudrillard believes, and have lost the capacity to comprehend reality as it actually exists. We experience only prepared realities--edited war footage, meaningless acts of terrorism, the destruction of cultural values and the substitution of 'referendum'.

In Jean Baudrillard's words,

"The very definition of the real has become: that of which it is possible to give an equivalent reproduction...The real is not only what can be reproduced, but that which is always already reproduced: that is the hyperreal...which is entirely in simulation."...more